As you visit your classroom each week, you should be keeping a log of your hours. In addition to this log, we would like to you observe specific characteristics of your cooperating teacher's (CT's) classroom and reflect on these observations.
As you visit your schools early in the semester, you should "be a sponge" and learn as much about the students, teacher and school as your can. Each week, we will ask you to pay attention to one characteristic of your classes to observe and reflect upon.
By observation, we mean that we would like to write a paragraph or two describing what you saw (or discussed with your CT) that answers the questions we provide.
By reflection, we mean that we would like you to write a paragraph or two that interprets your observations, and evaluates them based on either what you intend to do when you have your own class our in light of what we are reading and talking about in class.
For each Observation/Reflection (O/R) assignment please copy the question prompt from this page and then use the appropriate entry link. When you begin editing your new page, PASTE the prompt and then include your answer.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?
Reflection #2: Eyes in the Back of Your Head: Observing Student Actions==
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
Please post your observations and reflections using these links
During this visit, you should work with one or more groups of students if you haven't already, and observe your teacher doing the same. For this journal entry, describe your teacher's teaching style. What type of relationships with students does he or she nurture in his or her classes? How do students perceive that power is distributed in the classes? Does this vary within or across the different classes the teacher has? Cite examples from your observations to support your inferences. Remember to reflect on what style of teaching you will gravitate toward and the how you want to be perceived by your students.
Observe a laboratory activity or base your answer on past visits. How does your CT conduct a typical laboratory activity? How does he or she open the activity and organize student groups? How do students learn what they're expected to do during the period? Reflect on your reading about inquiry and your experience with the NECAP inquiry task. How did the laboratory activity you observe prepare students for the type of activities that might show up on the NECAP in the future? What inquiry elements would you strengthen? What science practices do you want to stress when you're teaching?
Observation / Reflection #4:Be Quiet! I'm Trying To Talk!
In this observation, pay attention to how your teacher manages his or her classroom. What types of disruptions, if any, occur while you're visiting? How do they set the class in motion? How do they deal with interruptions (from the outside) and disruptions (from their students)? Determine whether there are students in the classes that you will teach that are especially troublesome. Ask your CT how he or she addresses these students' needs. Reflect on your "vision" of an ideal science classroom. What classroom policies will you try to implement in YOUR classroom? How does your vision align with your teaching philosophy?
In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements? How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes? What similarities, if any, did you see between the descriptions of American classes in the Teaching Gap and the Game of School? Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?
This week, finish up any posts you need to do and then assemble your work in your student profile. Use the template called "EDC 430 Student Profile" to create a profile that presents your work and observations for this class on a single page.
Observations and Reflections
As you visit your classroom each week, you should be keeping a log of your hours. In addition to this log, we would like to you observe specific characteristics of your cooperating teacher's (CT's) classroom and reflect on these observations.As you visit your schools early in the semester, you should "be a sponge" and learn as much about the students, teacher and school as your can. Each week, we will ask you to pay attention to one characteristic of your classes to observe and reflect upon.
For each Observation/Reflection (O/R) assignment please copy the question prompt from this page and then use the appropriate entry link. When you begin editing your new page, PASTE the prompt and then include your answer.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?Reflection #2: Eyes in the Back of Your Head: Observing Student Actions==
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
Please post your observations and reflections using these links
Observation/Reflection #3: A Matter of Style
Chose one of the prompts below:Observation / Reflection #4:Be Quiet! I'm Trying To Talk!
In this observation, pay attention to how your teacher manages his or her classroom. What types of disruptions, if any, occur while you're visiting? How do they set the class in motion? How do they deal with interruptions (from the outside) and disruptions (from their students)? Determine whether there are students in the classes that you will teach that are especially troublesome. Ask your CT how he or she addresses these students' needs. Reflect on your "vision" of an ideal science classroom. What classroom policies will you try to implement in YOUR classroom? How does your vision align with your teaching philosophy?Observation / Reflection #5: The Game of School
In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements? How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes? What similarities, if any, did you see between the descriptions of American classes in the Teaching Gap and the Game of School? Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?Observation / Reflection #6: Wrap it Up
This week, finish up any posts you need to do and then assemble your work in your student profile.Use the template called "EDC 430 Student Profile" to create a profile that presents your work and observations for this class on a single page.